Nude Camping, It's not just for adults anymore

USA News and Views ^ | 07/26/03 | Paul Walfield

[garbanzo]

---My hope is to some day have a great big house and an expensive car and never have time to enjoy either.


Even if you had time to enjoy, you often can't just because the amount of work you did to get it so twisted you that what you have simply isn't satisfying.

[eno_]

HEY! That's MY LIFE you are talking about.

Now if I can only adjust my schedule around getting my BMW in the shop...

[elfman2]

" My hope would be to combine modern technology and development with the sort of holistic approach that leads to a greater degree of happiness. What's the point of producing all of this stuff if we can never enjoy it?"

No doubt. I think getting there is more of a task of interactively taking the best of both worlds through a kind of surgical precision and reorganizing the parts, not by casually blending everything attractive among them together and celebrating diversity.

Nude summer camp for teenagers? I'd have never opened a book again. (Of course if it were held over my head for grades, I'd probably be a scholar.) But no way would I let my daughter trade off her innocents and become fresh meat to those dead enders. Let me see, music camp, photography camp, volleyball camp, or nudist camp… such a hard decision…

[garbanzo]

----In my observation, our society has been getting nuder over the past few decades, and more neurotic over the past few decades.

I think we're getting more schizophrenic - we have a mixed set of values. In some ways we are more open but in others we are hopelessly Victorian. We can acess nudity on the internet but not on TV. We can say things in one place but not another. We wind up having to live six different lives to please all sorts of pretended authorities and it takes a toll on us.


--- I can think of plenty of problems that can be solved, or greatly alleviated, by teaching kids that self-"expression" (either bodily or in some other in-your-face nonverbal manner) is not the way to make healthy contributions to society. ----

The question is whether or not making a contribution to society outweighs an individual's need for happiness.

[garbanzo]

I would only disagree to the extent that I consider nudity not to be a bad thing. I think one of the keys to modernity's ills is the hatred and contempt of the body and it expresses itself in any number of ways.

[lawdude]

"...stop seeing the connection between nudity and sex."

I fail to see how one can have sex while clad!

He, "If I had known you were so...so tight, I would have taken my time!"

She, "If I had known you were in such a hurry, I would have removed my panty hose!"

[Publius6961]

No matter how much the boomers insist that discomfort (sexual or otherwise) is a social construct, they are wrong. Over time, it is part of the warp and woof of human nature.

Great verbalization of common sense conclusions of an informed mind.

It's mind-boggling that in the 21st century, many still are unaware that art, leisure and "activism" are artifacts of a society where creativity has elevated us beyond the necessity of spending every waking hour surviving.

The world and specifically the U.S. is populated by neurotics, 21-80+, going on 12... who know that they are the center of the universe.

[inquest]

In some ways we are more open but in others we are hopelessly Victorian. We can acess nudity on the internet but not on TV.

If you can turn on TV nowadays and call it "Victorian" then you have very odd sensibilities. And there's plenty of nudity on certain cable channels.

The question is whether or not making a contribution to society outweighs an individual's need for happiness.

Happiness as defined as... expressing oneself to those around them. Hence they must be able to derive as much happiness from their society as they can, but be under no obligation to contribute to society's happiness. Such is the origin of the neurosis.

And again, I have to wonder about your sensibilities if you're implying that our problem today is that people just have too much of an obligation to their society and aren't paying enough attention to their own desires.

[inquest]

The taboo against nudity is not the result of "hatred and contempt of the body" but is simply a safety valve that's been judged necessary to maintain civilized behavior. It's the same reason why sex is kept private. Not because it's inherently evil, but because it gets out of control otherwise.

[westgirl123]

Hi hellinahandcart:

You are right, at least about me caring. You seem to be saying that it doesn't matter if the writing is good or informative, just that I posted the articles that matters.

If you don't like good conservative writing, that is your business. Just the same, your ranting does give me a chuckle.

Westgirl123

[elfman2]

"I would only disagree to the extent that I consider nudity not to be a bad thing."

I think it's a great thing, like dessert. Both have their place. And when practiced by teenage girls, it has an opiate quality on most men. Especially teenage boys who only have a limited time to learn the skills that will make them happy.

[elfman2]

"I think one of the keys to modernity's ills is the hatred and contempt of the body and it expresses itself in any number of ways. "

I think I've seen a few people like that, but aren't they like 1% or less, and fading?

[observer5]

"Not because it's inherently evil, but because it gets out of control otherwise."

I don't know if you have noticed... It is out of control in the USA and Europe... specially amongst teens.

[hellinahandcart]

You seem to be saying that it doesn't matter if the writing is good or informative, just that I posted the articles that matters.

I don't only seem to be saying it, I am saying it.

This is not a clearing house for links, dearie. And you didn't write the article, so its relative worth is immaterial. Only your violation of long-standing FR protocol and etiquette is relevant.

And the fact that the first comment you have ever graced us with is in defense of needless excerpting is making ME chuckle. Seriously. Blow it out your newbie nose, or take it to Lucianne, but don't expect thanks or praise for what you're doing.

[hellinahandcart]

Thanks for posting the whole article, Meek. ;D

[Lazamataz]

©2003 Paul Walfield All Rights Reserved

Wow, I didn't realize Paul's alias was Mr. Losangeles Times.

Because that's who Jim's agreement is with.

[sauropod]

Oh man. Don't get her started! My ears will bleed...;-)

[hellinahandcart]

Your ears won't be all, dear; not after that...;D

[sauropod]

Promises, promises is all i ever get ;-).

[sauropod]

Look toots, its real simple.

ONLY EXCERPT LA TIMES/WASH POST ARTICLES!!!

HHC is right to be asking you to adhere to this rule from JimRob Hisself.

Why can't you follow it?